Filling plug for storage-battery covers



April 20, 1926. r

J. N, DAVIS FILLING PLUG FOR STORAGE BATTERY COVERS Filed April 20, 1925 I NV EN TOR @perikfiauy Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES v 1,581,104 PATENT OFFICE.

JASPER N. DAVIS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FILLING PLUG FOR STORAGE-BATTERY COVERS.

Application filed April 20, 1925. Serial No. 24,427.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JASPER N. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city and county "of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Filling Plug for Storage-Battery Covers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in filling plugs for the covers of storage battery jars.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved filling plug, which is adapted to replace the usual cap form of plug, and which is provided with indicating means by which the level of the battery solution above the tops of the plates in the jar can be ascertained at all times, without the necessity of removing the plug.

Further to provide a filling plug having an upper portion provided with sight openings and depending guide members which extend down into the jar and inclose a float having an upwardly projecting stem which is visible through said sight openings, the position of the upper end of said stem with respect to the lower edges of said sight openings, indicating the level of the battery solution above the tops of the plates in the jar.

These objects are accomplished by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the upper portion of a battery showing the jar cover provided with the improved filling plug.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the improved plug,

Figure 3 is a top view of the plug.

Figure 4 is a bottom view thereof.

Figure 5 is a top view of a portion of a jar cover embodying the improved indicating means and also provided with the usual filling hole adapted to be closed by the common form of cap or plug,and

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, the filling hole being closed by acommon form of plug.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

The numeral 1- indicates the usual wood case; 2, the rubber jar, and 3, the cover, which is of hard rubber and which is secured in the upper end of the jar by a sealing compound 4. The cover is provided with two holes 5, through which the cell posts pass, and with a hole 6 in which is screwed, or

otherwise secured, the usual filling plug. The hole 6 is in the upper end of the usual filling tube through which water is added to replace evaporation in the ar and through which hydrometer readings may be taken to ascertain the strength of the battery solution. In the present style of cover, no provision is made for ascertaining the level of the water in the jar, other than by removing the plug and looking into the filling tube,

and as this is often forgotten or neglected,

especially by inexperienced persons, the continued evaporation of the water exposes the tops of the plates, with the consequent inj urious results. The present invention, however, is adapted to prevent such injury to the battery by providing a plug having an indicating element which at all times shows the exact level of the battery solution in the ar.

The improved plugcomprises a circular disk-like body portion 7, from the upper face of which extends a hollow conical head 8, through the wall of which are formed preferably three equi-distant vertically disposed sight openings 9. From the lower face of the body portion 7, extends a hub-like member 10, which may be threaded to the hole 6, or's'ecured therein in any othersuitable manner, and which terminates in two or more depending guide legs 11, the outer. and inner faces of which are concentric with the axis of the plug. The threaded hub portion 10 is, in the present instance. screwed into the filling hole 6, which is surounded by a raised lip 12, and a rubber gasket or washer 13, is interposed between the lip 12 and the body 7, of the plug which bears against the said washer, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The guide legs 11, extend down to within a slight distance of the tops of the plates, indicated -by the line 14 in Figure 1, and the inner faces of the lower end portions of these legs are formed with horizontal grooves 15, and the ends of the legs are outwardly curved from the under sides of the said grooves, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

The lower sides of the grooves 15 are of less depth than the upper sides, or in other words, the upper sides of the grooves extend inward beyond the lower sides thereof, owing to the reduced thickness of the extremities of the legs.

A float 16 is placed witlrin the legs 11. and this float preferably comprises. a circular hollow glass body from which projects an upright stem 17, which extends .through an axial hole 18, in the body 7, of the plug,

7 and into the hollow head 8, so that the upperportion of the stem can be seen through the" sight 0 enings 9. The float is held within the gui e legsby a resilient rubber disk 19, which is rung into the grooves 15, as shown in lower faces hereof, acting to engage the disk 19, and prevent it from'being pressed past the slots 15, when inserting the disk in the plug. V Y

, Water is poured into the jar through the opening 6, until it reach the bottom of the .cover 3, and'the improved plug is then fication of my device in which a cover 3 is employed, which is formed with an integral hollow head'20, similar to the head 8, and which is provided with sight openings 21. A hole 22 is formed in the cover in axial line with the head 20, and integral guide legs 23, similar to the legs 11, depend from the bottom side of the cover, concentric with the hole 22, the lower ends of these legs being provided with grooves 24, to receive a float retainin disk 25, similar to the disk 19,;shown in IFigure 1. A float 16 is placed within the legs 23, the stem 17, of which passes up through the hole 22,

and into the hollow head 20, as in Figures 1 and 2. v

In addition,-this form of cover 3*, is also provided with a threaded filling hole- 26, which is normally closed with an ordinary threaded cap 27. By this arrangement, not only can the depth of the electrolyte be ascertained at all times by the float 16, but the screw cap can be removed either for adding water to replace evaporation in the jar or for the insertion of a hydrometer syringe for teztingthe strength of the battery solution. V By the employmentof either the removable filling plug having the float, in connection with the form of cover in common use, or the improved form of cover having the float and also the usual filling opening, I provide a' simple and practical means for indicating at'all times the level of thevbat- Y tery solution above the tops of the plates in the jar, and thereby eliminate the chance .1 of injury to the battery through neglect in igure 1, the upper faces of the. grooves which extend inward beyond the clainras newand. desire to secure by Letters Patentis-:---

1. In battery construction, the combination-with the ar cover havinlg a detachable hollow -ro'ection' provided with sight openings; o a oat having astem visible through said sight :openings, at depending vertical guidewa on said hollow-projection for said oatlan a, stop at thehottom of said guidew'ay, the position of the" upper end of said stern with respect to the lower ends of said sight openings indicating the level of the batter solution above the. tops of the plates.

2. he' combination with a battery jar cover, a detachable hollow member thereon having sight openings therein, a depending guideway on said hollow member rovided with an axial hole in the upper en thereof opening into said hollow member; of afloat in said guideway havin a stem which extends through said axiaf hole and into said hollow member, and a removable stop in the bottom of said guideway, the position of the upper end of said stem with respect to the lower ends of said sight openings, indicating the level of the battery solution above the tops of the plates.

3.- In battery construction, a battery jar cove-r having a filling opening therein and a cap therefor, an upwardly projecting hollow member having sight openings therein, a hole in said cover in line with the axis of said hollow member, guide legs depending from the under side of said cover and concentric with said hole, a float within-said guide legs having a stem --'which extends through said hole and into said hollow mem secured in said openings, having an upwardly projecting hollow member provided with sight openings and'de-pending guide legs concentric with the axis of said hollow member,- a float within said guide legs having a.stem,which projects into said hollow member and visible thrqigh said sight open .ings, and a disk removably secured in the float therein. I

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JASPER N. DAVIS.

lower ends of said guide-legs to hold said 

